Football Night in Vietnam

August 9th, 2012 by admin

Hanoi, Vietnam – Football is the world’s game, but that doesn’t mean it’s my game or my country’s game. Like many American kids I grew up playing baseball and watching American football and basketball, which means my natural instinct is to catch and throw a ball, not kick it. So, you can imagine my trepidation as I stood on a football field after entering the game as a sub on defense. My roommate and I had been invited to play by our office, and when they said it was just a friendly game I figured it would be fun to try my hand, er foot, at the game and see what made it so popular.

But, this wasn’t just a few guys out fooling around and having some fun. No, this was two teams playing hard and trying their best to win. For someone who hadn’t played football since he was five or six years old, it was slightly intimidating, albeit pretty cool to watch (from the sidelines). There’s a big difference when someone says it’s been five years since they played, and I’m thinking I haven’t played in twenty-five. Oh well, it was nonetheless an excellent cultural experience and a lot of fun – one of my favorite nights while in Hanoi.